Lathe.



W, W. STODDARD.

LATHE. APPLICATIUN FILED NOV. 27., 1914.

l l 86,503 Patented June 6,1915

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maneges@ Fg'' fwentr 1 UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE..

WALLACE \W. STODDARD, F BINGHAM, MA-INE".

LATHE.

' To all wtom z' may concern:

Be it known that I, WALLACE W. SToD- nimo, a citizen of the United States, resid-v ing at Bingham, in the county of Somerset In the usual and wellknown types of lathes, the tailspindles are -reciprocated in the tailstock to move the dead center into contactwith theI work by a screw-to which va rotary motion is .imparted by means of a hand wheel attachedto one end of said screw. Theroperation of a spindle by such Qa means is necessarily slow and consequently a great deal-of'time is wasted by theoperator in setting up the work in the lathe and removing the same after the vwork is finished, as several 4turns must be given to thehand wheel each time the spindle is 4moved.-

. The object of this invention is'to` provide alathe comprising the4 usual adjustable' tailstockanda spindle movable longitudinally of said tailstock, but by providing iiuid op- -erated instruinentalities by means of which saidspindle may' bequickly and easily adjusted to engage, hold or release the work in,

the lathe by' the simple rocking of a leveror the opening andclosing of a valve.

Another object of the invention'is to pro-- vide instrumentalities, of the nature herein L uponthe'tails'tock ofthe lathe'and adjusted 'before set forth, which maybe mounted therewith to within the rrange of. the .work

to Vbe operated upon without interfering with the subsequent operation of the tail- 40 spindle by said fluid operated means. f

The invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, whereby the `above objects and certain other objects herenafterv appearing'maylbe. attained. as set Referring to the drawings; Figure 1 is a side elevation of a lathe embodying my invention, portions ofthe tailstock of said lathe and the guideways being brokenl away and shown in seetion toniore clearly illustrate the invention. Fig. 2 is I asection,` partly in elevation taken on line 2-2 of.

Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a l'sectiontaken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2 -illustrating,the operating Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6,l 1916.

. "Application led November 27, 1914. Serial No. 874,131.V

. valve. Fig. A4; illustrates anotherV method of operating the tailspindle by compressed air or other suitable fluid.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

v inthe drawings, e' is the bed @fa lathe, Y

which, in other words, constitutes the guide- Way or shears. Upon the bed 6 are mounted a headstock7 and a tailstock 8, said headstock vbeing stationary thereon,`while the tailstock 'is adapted to be movedlongitudinally of said bed. The headstock istxprovided with a live spindle 9 driven in the usual manner. The work to be .performed on the lathe is carried between the center 10 ofy the live spindle 9 and a deadlcenter 1l of a tailspindle 12, which is arranged .to reciprocate longitudinally in the tailstock 8. To maintain the axes'of the live and tailspin, dles 9 and' l2 in alinement, the head and tailstocks are fitted to the gaideway or shears, said headstock'being fixed 'in position thereon, while thetailstock is madead- 'justa'ble along said shears to suit the length of the work.'

To lock the tailstock 8 Iin position, Said tailstock 8 has a bolt 13 projecting through a plate '14 arranged beneath the shears 6,

.said bolt having at its upper end a hand lever 15 adapted to be operated to move said plate against said shears and clamp said tailstock in a predetermined position.

The adjustment of the Vtailstoek as a whole is for-the purpose of bringing the tailspindle in the neighborhood of the work, but. they final adjustment, vwhereby said spindle v is moved to engage the work and support the* same during the .operation thereon, is

accomplished by a separate movement of .said spindle independently of the tailstock.

To accomplish this'result the tailspindle is arranged to slide longitudinally inthe bear- .ing l' of said tailstockand may, if desired,l b eclamped in engagement with the work by forth inthe followingl specication'and pan A means of a lever 1'7 havingfa screw 18 which fticularly pointed out in the claims.

engages ears 19,0n said bearing 16,'said bearling being' split -at the forward end thereof -to permit said earstto be drawn together;

or mechanismA which is. adapted to'. reoipro-.

cate Athe" tailspindle 'longitudinally of the' bearing 16, which ,mechanism' preferably,

consists of a fluid cylinder 20 secured to the i tailstock, preferably at the rear of the lathe.

' `A piston 21 is arranged to reciprocate Withtends to the valve 30.

in said cylinder to which piston is secured a piston rod 22 extending through one end of said cylinder and pivotally connected at 23 to a lever 24, which in turn is pivoted at 25 to the'tailstock 8. The opposite en d of the lever 24 is pivoted at 26 to a projection 27 depending from the tailspindle 12. Fluid is supplied to the cylinder 20 to cperate said piston and thus move the tailspindle 12 into contact 'with the work A through a fluid or air supply pipe-28, whichy pipe extends from the left hand end of the cylinder' 20 in Fig. 1 to a valve 30 arranged at some suitable or convenient location, pref erably upon the front side of the tailstock 8, fluid being supplied to the valve 30 through a supply pipe 31, which is connected with any suitable source of supply not shown in the drawings.

The valve 30 may be of anyof the Well known ytypes of-valves capable of being operated by a slight movement, preferably by a hand lever 32. In the present instance the valve 30 consists of a rotary .member 33 provided with a pair of transverse passages 31 and 35. The lever 32 is secured to the upper end of the rotary member 33 and by a slight rocking movement of said rotary member the passage 34; in said rotary member may be moved to connect the supply pipe 31 with the pipe 28, whereby air or fluid may be directed into .the cylinder 20 andthe piston therein moved to cause the tailspindle to engage the work. By retaining the rotary member in the position just referred to, the pressure of air on said piston will maintain the tailspindle in its engagement with the Work and thus hold the Work in position While it is being operated upon. Extending from the oppositeend of the cylinder 2O from that to Which the pipe 28 is connected is a vpipe 29 which also eX- .simultaneously alined With Athe pipe 29 and the exhaust passage 36, thus permitting the fluid, which is at the front of the piston21 during the operation of said piston, as hereinbefore-'-stated, to be discharged from said cylinder;

Uponthe completion ofthe operation upon the Work A and it is desirable to remove the same from the lathe to make room for a new piece, the valve member 33 may be rotated and the supply of air cut .off from the pipe 28 permitting the tailspindle to be retracted. The retraction of said tailspindle may be accomplished `in numerous Ways,

operi during the'reciprocations of the piston 21 so as to permit the free access of airto that end of thecylinder. i

AThe preferred method of operating the tailspindle to retract the same from the work is by air pressure and in substantially the same manner in whichthe tailspindle is .operated to engage and hold the Work in the lathe. This operation is accomplished by moving the rotary member 33 until the passage 35 therein connects the supply pipe 31 with the pipe 29 and the passage 34 With the pipe 28 and exhaust passage 36, thus reversing the action of the piston21, it be* ing understood that during this operation the petcoclr 36 remains closed.

The general operation of the device hereinbefore described. is as folloivs: The Work, whichl is indicated at A, is placed aga-inst the live center 10 and the t'ailstock 8 moved in the usual manner along the guideway 6 into a position adjacent the opposite end of the Work, Where said tailstock is clamped by the lever 15 and plate 14: after which the -tailspindle 12 may be moved-'relatively to is connected with the supply pipe 31.

through the passage 34 permitting fluid of a suitable nature, preferably compressed air, to enter said casing through said valve and operate the piston 21 and through said piston ro'd 22 and lever 24, which are allperatively connected to the tailspindle '8, to

move said tailspindle and its dead center 11 into contactwvith said work. The pressure of air against 'said piston is sufficient' to retain said spindle in said latter position until Ithe Work has been completed, after which the lever,32 may be moved in the opposite direction. and. the pipe. 28 connected. through the passage 35 to the'eXhaust passage 36,

While the fluid supply pipe 31 is connected to the pipe 29, permitting fluid to enter the cylinder 20 againstthe opposite end of the' piston 14 and reverse the action of said pistonV thus to Withdraw the dead. center 11 from the Work to be removed from the machine and a new piece inserted.

It Will be readily seen that with the mechanism hereinbefore described that the operation of the tailspindle may be per-4 .the fact that said bearing 16 is made slightly larger and provided with a chamber 41 within which a piston 42, preferably formed upon the spindle 40, is arranged to reciprocate. Suitable packing rings 43 are Vprovided at opposite ends of the chamber 41 to prevent leakage of the fluid around saidspindle 40. A rotary valve 43 is arranged in the suitable casing formed in said bearing and in which casing are also formed passages 44 and 45 leading from the rotary valve 43 to opposite ends of the chamber 41 or upon opposite sides of the piston 42. A

supply pipe 46 leads to the Valve 43 and an exhaust passage 47 is also connected therewith. Passages 48 and 49 are arranged in the valve'43. Af certain times in the operation of the lathe the valve 43 is operated to admit fluid through the passages and 48 and pipe 46' to operate the dead spindle 40 in the direction of the work, while the other passage 49 permits the iuid at the vopposite side of the piston 42 to escape through the passages 44vand 49 and exhaust passage 47. Afterthe work has been finished the valve 43 is again operated to admit the rfluid to the opposite side of said piston 42 to reverse the action of said piston, thus releasing the work. l

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire by Letters` Patent to secure is: i i

1. A lathe having, in combination, a tailspindle, a cylinder, a piston arranged within said cylinder and operatively connected with said tailspindle, and a fluid valve connected with said cylinder adapted to be operatedto admit fluid 'to said cylinder to move said piston, whereby said spindle may be movedto engage and hold the work.

2. A lathe having, in combination, a guideway, a tailstock adjustably mounted on said guideway, a tailspindle arranged to reciprocate in said tailstock, and fluid operating means adapted to move said tailspindle relatively'to said tailstock to engage and hold the work on said lathe.

3. A lathe having, in combination, a guideway, atailstock adjustably mounted on saidl guideway, a tailspindle arranged to reciprocate in said tailstock, and fluid operating means carried by said tailstock adapted to move said tailspindle relatively to said tailstock to engage and hold the Work on said.

lathe. y

4. A lathe having, in combination,` an adjustable tailstock, a spindle arranged to reciprocate longitudinally lin said tailstock, a fluid .cylinder .mounted on said tailstock, a

piston adapted to reciprocate in said cylinder, a lever operatively connecting said piston and said spindle, and a-valve adapted to admit fluid to said cylinder to reciprocate said piston whereby said spindle may bel moved to and from the work on said lathe or held in contact with said work during the operation thereon.

5. A'lathe having, in combination, a tailstock, a spindle adapted to slide longitudinally in said tailstock, a cylinder mounted on said tailstock, a v'piston arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder7 a lever pivotally mounted on said tailstock and pivotally connected with said piston, and said spindle7 said lever adapted to transmit the motion of said piston to said spindle, and a valve adapted to be operated to admit Huid to said cylinder to movesaid piston in opposite directions.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set. 

